Screening area grant saves city millions

The federal Transportation Security Administration has kicked in almost $7.8 million to design, construct and equip a new baggage screening area at Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport.

The city had budgeted $6.4 million to do the job, Assistant City Manager Jarrett Atkinson said.

The project is part of a $48.3 million airport renovation that includes construction of a new concourse and a behind-the-scenes, ground-floor TSA screening system, which will remove luggage security equipment that has jammed the ticket lobby since 9/11.

Transferring the cost of the screening system to the TSA grant will allow the city to free up $5.5 million in airport reserves and almost $2.3 million in future Federal Aviation Administration annual entitlement funds that had been committed to the airport overhaul, Airport Manager Scott Carr said.

The Amarillo City Commission accepted the TSA grant on Tuesday, as well as $3.2 million in anticipated FAA entitlement funds. The TSA grant will pay 95 percent of the security screening area cost, with a 5 percent match of $410,000 from the airport.